Postal balance



(No Model.)

H. B. SEAMAN. POSTAL BALANCE.

Patented Decu7, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT HENRY B. SEAMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE CALVERT LITHOGRAPHING, ENGRAVING AND MAP PUBLISHING COMPANY, OF

DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

POSTAL BALANCE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,91 1, dated December 7, 1897.

Application filed April 17, 1897. Serial No. 632,576. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. SEAMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Postal Balances, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in the construction of a postal balance constructed of paper or cardboard; and it consists of a weighing-beam formed of a paper or cardboard sheet or plate with depending marginal flanges, a series of openings in one end forming a fulcrum-bearing for different weights of mail-matter, a transverse mail-holder formed by a slot near the end of the balance and a fulcrum-block bent from a single piece of cardboard or paper to form a stand, and a fulcrum adapted to engage with the various fulcrum -bearings of the balance-beam, whereby different amounts of postage may be quite accurately determined by shifting the fulcrum into any of the fulcrum-bearings of the balance, all as more fully hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the balance bar or beam. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the fulcrum-stand and fulcrum. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section through the device as in use. Figs. 4: and 5 are plan views showing the blanks from which the beam and stand are formed.

To form my device, I take a piece of cardboard or heavy paper and cut out the blank shown in Fig. at for the beam. This blank comprises the plate or bar A and is bent upon the lines a to form the marginal depending flanges B, which, as shown, may be round or cut into ornamental configuration. O are extension-flaps on these flanges, provided with interlocking notches or cuts D, and when the flanges B are turned down at right angles to the plate A these flaps 0, being secured by the engagement of the respective notches D, serve to hold the flanges in proper relation to the plate, as shown in Fig. l.

E is an aperture or slot cut through the plate A and the flanges 13, which when the flanges are turned down, as shown in Fig. 1,

forms a slot or a receptacle for the mail-matter to be weighed, and this for convenience I will call the letter-receptacle F.

II are a series of transverse slots in the weighing bar or plate A, which slots form What I call the fulcrum-bearing, and in any of which the fulcrum may be engaged.

To form the fulcrum-stand and fulcrum, I cut out a blank, as shown in Fig. 5, I being a vertical plate, the top of which is provided with the bearing J, which forms the fulcrum for the balance beam or plate, and an intermediate projection K, which prevents the dis engagement of the beam from its fulcrum. The blank has the flaps L at either side thereof, which are folded on the lines 0 to form the V-shaped base M, having the locking-notches (2, adapted to engage with the corresponding locking-notches h formed in the base of the fulcrum-plate I, and preferably having the projection N, which gives additional security by a wider bearing for the base, as plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When thus shaped, the fulcrum-stand and fulcrum will be as shown in Fig. 2.

The device may now be assembled by engaging the weighing or balance beam with the fulcrum-plate, the projection K indicating plainly to the operator just which slot or hearing II the beam is engaged with, and if these slots are suitably numbered or lettered they will indicate to the user, who places the letter in the mail-receptacle F, as shown in Fig. 3, the amount of postage required for the particular letter weighed. For instance, the first fulcrum-bearing may be numbered 2 to indicate two-centpostage, the next one 4, and the others 6 and 8, respectively, so that if the letters placed in the mail-receptacle F will balance the balance-beam, as shown in Fig. 3, in the first fulcrum-bearing the postage is two cents, if it will balance it in the sec ond fulcrum-bearing four cents, and so on. This is not only a convenient and satisfactory weighing-balance for weighing purposes, but as it is made of paper it may be suitably ornamented or provided with advertising matter, so it will at the same time provide an exceptionally good advertising medium, as it will be kept on the desk of the user and thus constantly remind him of the advertisement which it carries.

By making the flanges B on the weighingbeam and tying them together by the flaps C I am enabled to get quite a rigid structure from comparatively light cardboard. These flaps also serve the further purpose of forming by simply a slot a mail-receptacle which nicely holds any ordinary letter. The entire scale can thus be made from two pieces of cardboard in the manner described.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A postal balance, comprising a balancebeam and a fulcrum-base and fulcrum, the balance being formed from a sheet of cardboard or similar material cut to form the plate A, forming the beam proper, the depending marginal flanges 13, the flaps C connecting these marginal flanges and a mail receptacle formed by a transverse slot through the balance plate and beam, and the flanges, and the fulcrum-stand and fulcrum-plate adapted to be engaged with one of a series of fulcrum-bearings formed in the plate A.

2. In apostal balance the weighing balance or beam comprising the plate A, marginal flanges B for the weighing-receptaele F, and a series of fulcrum-bearings II at one end, a fulcrum-base and fulcrum-plate formed from a piece of cardboard or similar material bent to form a base and a vertical plate I having a projection adapted to engage through any one of the series of fulcrum-bearin gs II, substantially as described.

In a postal balance, the combination with the slotted balance-plate A, of the fulcrumstand and the fulcrum-plate formed from a single piece of cardboard and comprising the vertical fulcrum-plate I, the flaps L bent to form a V-shaped base M interlocking with the fulcrum-plate at their intersection therewith, the extensions N 011 opposite sides of the fulcrum-plate and the central projection K at the top of the fulcrum-plate, the parts being arranged as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY l3. SEAMAN. lVitnesses:

GENEVIEVE Gnoon, E. C. DOLBERY. 

